Idiom: mean business
Meaning
Idiom: mean business
- to be serious about something you say or promise
- to do what you say you will do
Example sentences
— My father threatened so many times to take away my phone and nothing happened but last night he meant business and confiscated my phone.
— I mean business when I say I’m going to run a marathon in June.
— When we say we have a "no questions, 100% satisfaction guarantee," we mean business.
— Don't talk back to your teacher. When she threatens to have you suspended she means business.
— My daughter means business this time about getting better grades. She's been studying every day and asking us questions when she needs help.
— My girlfriend knew I meant business about our relationship when I asked her to come home to meet my parents at Thanksgiving.
— Hi Mom, can we come over until Friday when I get paid? I didn't think they meant business but they shut off our electricity yesterday.
— I'm going to lose weight this time. I mean business. I've hired a personal trainer, nutritionist and a personal coach to help me with the mental aspect.
— You can tell she means business whenever she puts her requests in writing.
— It looks like my brother means business about his finances. He closed two credit cards today and is having a garage sale to pay down more of his debt.
Synonyms
- be in earnest
- bound and determined
- be set on something
- dead set on
Download your free illustrated idioms eBook!
Want to expand your idiom knowledge even further? Download our free eBook, '25 Illustrated Idioms,' to learn more useful expressions with fun visuals that make understanding idioms a breeze. Sign up now to get your free copy!
You might like these idioms
More idioms will be added in the future so check back frequently or sign-up for my free newsletter to learn about new updates to my website.
- Home Page ›
- Idioms List ›
- Idiom: mean business
